The Top 5 Fitness Wearables

The new year is almost here, and if you’re like most Americans, by February you’ll have ditched whatever fitness related resolutions you’ve made only to find yourself binge-watching Netflix with your friends, Ben and Jerry. With our chaotic and stressed out life styles, it can be really tough to keep an active lifestyle, let alone monitor our calorie intake and heart rate. I’m not trying to be the barer of bad news here, in fact, there’s quite a bit to be optimistic about in terms of fitness tech. Wearable technology has made leaps and bounds in the fitness arena since they were first came into prominence at the beginning of the decade, revolutionizing the standard workout routine. Below, we’ve collected some of the most impressive fitness watches around so you can start 2017 with a sprint rather than a stumble.

FitBit may be the most familiar name on the list, and that’s for a good reason too. This little guy provides all-day fitness tracking, GPS functionality, smartphone notifications and an optical heart rate monitor. At the time of its release in 2014, no one was incorporating this technology into their fit watches. In addition to its touch screen, the device features three buttons on the side. The one on the left starts exercise training, and the two on the right side allow you to start and stop workouts as well as control music and other smartwatch features.

Garmin VivoFit 3The newest edition of Garmin’s VivoFit is a great entry point for those looking for their first fitness tracker. Garmin’s more affordable offering offers more features than some of its competitors at a very reasonable cost. The watch uses an already included coin cell battery that’s designed to last for a year, allowing you to start using it right out of the box. The watch has a 64x64px screen with a single action button. This button allows you to scroll across the seven screens; time, date, steps taken, steps to goal, distance traveled, calories burned, and weekly active minutes.

The Samsung Gear Fit straddles the line between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch. It’s a handy little devil whose reach extends far beyond that of a typical fitness tracker. The Gear is equipped with a 1.84-inch curved super AMOLED (active matrix organic light emitting diode) display boasting a 432×128 px resolution made entirely of Gorilla Glass, which should prevent any scratches or cracks. The Gear is very intelligent, being able to automatically detect monitor steps, calories, sleep and more while also being able to recognize when you’re doing squats, cycling, and almost anything else.

With the Polar V800, you can be assured that your extra buck will give you that extra bang. This is a serious fitness tracker for seriously dedicated fitness freaks. This rugged device offers superb battery life, tracks a wide range of sports, and features a host of smart coaching modes. Since its launch in 2014, Polar has made some notable changes in its software department. The device provides a highly accurate GPS functionality and is able to create running programs based on your own preferences. If you’re looking to sign up for a marathon this feature can come in handy. Once you’ve selected a race, whether it be a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or the full shebang, the app will create a fitness plan for you to give you the training you need to be prepared.

With a sleek, comfortable design and the classic FitBit look, this watch is a fashionable piece of sports gear. The FitBit Charge begins tracking your progress by activating a button on the side, and provides you with a detailed summary in the app after your workout. FitBit Charge monitors your heart-rate using PurePulse technology, to increase your workouts with simplified heart-rate zones including fat burn, cardio, and peak. The Charge can be used outside of the gym as well, giving you the ability to see call, text, and calendar notification on the display. With its built in vibrating alarm, you can also check to see how long and how well you slept. The Charge gives you a better understanding of your fitness levels and how you’ve improved over time with your own personalized Cardio Fitness Score. With the Charge 2 you can track all-day activities like steps, distances, calories burned, floors climbed, and how minutes you’ve been active.